This Fourth of July do yourself and your family a favor, stay safe and leave the fireworks to the experts, advises the Minnesota Medical Association.

“Statistics show, year after year, that they are just so dangerous,” said MMA President Dan Maddox, M.D. “Too many young people suffer eye and hand injuries from fireworks each summer. We feel the best way to celebrate Independence Day is to leave the fireworks to professionals.”

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on average 200 people go to the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the Fourth of July. The most common injuries are to hands and fingers. The CPSC reports that fireworks were involved in an estimated 9,600 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2011.

There was an estimated 8,600 fireworks-related injuries during 2010.

“The MMA would prefer that fireworks not even be available but as long as they are around we encourage everyone to use extreme caution with them,” Maddox said.